Crystal Watts

Sr. Manager, Marketing & Communications

What I do I write. And re-write. And manage stuff others write and re-write. I create, curate, tell stories and interact in cyberspace.Why I do what I do: I’m obsessed with people and words. But not in a totally creepy kind of way.If I didn’t do what I do, I’d do this instead: Follow my childhood dream of becoming a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live. I’m borderline funny. And it seems you only have to be borderline funny these days.What makes me tick: My big fat Greek family.What makes me “talk”: My crazy, adorable tiny people and my crazy, adorable big person. And red wine.I geek out about: Movies and/or YouTube videos focusing on all “S” forms of humor: Satirical, Screwball, Self-Deprecating, Situational, Slapstick and Stand-up.I want the world to know: That Oyster crackers are the most underrated in the cracker family. Like any great artist…when long gone, people will finally begin respecting it.

The year 2030 marks an important demographic turning point in U.S. history according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. This will expand the size of the older population so that 1 in every 5 residents will be retirement age. This means...

A smart home means more than just convenience—it means safety, as well. Secure your loved ones and your home by monitoring and controlling security cameras, locks, alarm systems from your mobile devices. You could even have your home simulate occupancy to deter mischief and crime ​while you're out of town.

The mystery behind the movie magic will always be a part of its charm. But the rules for replicating this experience yourself don’t have to be such a secret. Today, armed with the latest technology, you can bring Hollywood to life for much less than you might have imagined.

If you’re already living in a Control4 Smart Home, you know how simple it is to set the mood with a single touch of a button. Now, with the new Control4 Smart Home Skill for the Amazon Alexa family of devices, it’s even easier to control your smart home with just your voice and a few simple commands.

Stewart Vicar has spent the better part of his life collecting Cubs memorabilia and the last four of those years to completing this incredible space. The room is a real-life fantasy zone, including two separate video walls, a theater, an arcade with vintage video and pinball game consoles, air hockey and foosball tables and two separate bar areas with seating for a dozen people.

In the past few years, we’ve seen a growing divide in the smart home market, centered around the fundamental differences between mass-market smart devices and professionally installed home automation systems. And as one-off smart devices grow smarter and more feature rich...

Homeowners everywhere are reaping the benefits of a professionally-installed smart home system coupled with the ability to do a lot of customization all on their own. Here are a few ways they are using When >> Then to personalize what happens at home.

One of my oldest and fondest memories as a child took place at the theater. From the moment I stepped up to the ticket box, the distinctive smell of buttery goodness wafting through the window would remind me that for the next few hours, I’d be transported into another world...

When I first heard that I’d be sitting down for a chit-chat with the lovely and talented talk show host and former Sister Sister actress, Tamera Mowry-Housley, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. After all, I had been a huge fan of hers (and her twin sister, Tia) for many years in my adolescence. Fast-forward two decades later, and we’re sitting at her kitchen table, conversing like old friends...

If you’re building a new home and your wish list includes overhead music throughout the house, distributed video in your favorite rooms, a robust networking platform to let you stream to your heart’s content, or you’re going full bore with a whole-home automation system—it’s absolutely critical that...

In developing this issue, I quickly realized how easy it is to get swept up by the beauty and brains of these amazing homes. The stunning architectures. Insanely, innovative designs. And the “cool” elements that bring them to life. But as I sat down to chat with some of the homeowners...

Every year during the CEDIA show, we launch a handful of new products and services to enthrall our dealers and customers. And this year we’re doing it like never before, announcing a slew of stuff that undoubtedly makes up our biggest launch to date. We’ve hand-picked a few of the most noteworthy to share with you here.

With responses polled from the largest domestic dealers of custom electronic systems, including audio, video, lighting, whole-home controls, security systems, motorized shades and other electronic devices across 55 categories, the annual CE Pro Top 100 Brand Analysis report has coined Control4 once again the brand leader in the Whole-House Automation category. And for the fifth consecutive year, Pakedge has been named the brand leader in the Home Networks category, which CE Pro notes is “arguably the most important category in home electronics these days”...

I can’t coin myself an audiophile. While it’s true that I absolutely love music and will listen to anything from Dean Martin to Radiohead, deciphering between good and stellar audio quality isn’t quite my gig. Well, at least I didn’t think it was. This week...

You may have seen our recent spotlight article with luxury home builder, Rose Barroso, of Barroso Homes. For many years now, she has worked with Control4 dealer, Premier Smart Homes in Toronto, Canada, to outfit her beautiful project builds with the best-of-the-best in smart home technology. It got us thinking...

Utilizing one type of interface to control your home is not always ideal. You may want a handheld, tactile remote to enjoy your video experience in the living room, a touch screen with a large display in the kitchen to browse and play music throughout the home, a keypad next to the garage door that allows you to shut the entire house down with one touch as you head out, and a smartphone or a watch on your wrist to offer insight to what is going on at home while you’re away.

The tiny house phenomenon is on fire, with many homeowners choosing to downsize to live a life of simplicity. While this type of living isn’t for everyone, there are certainly aspects of compact living that are quite desirable.

With a refreshed appearance to the user-interface and enhancements specifically in the comfort and security experiences—whether it's to maximize energy efficiency or to ensure that all is safe and sound—monitoring and controlling your smart home from the palm of your hand (or even on your wrist) has never been easier...

Last year, we saw a dramatic rise in smart home reports and surveys popping up everywhere. As a manufacturer with over 180,000 smart home systems in the field, we receive a ton of great information from our customers when we issue our customer surveys. Our own feedback shows that homeowners desire personalized experiences in the home with regard to entertainment, comfort, security and more. In fact, we estimate that 60 percent of them want their homes to react according to their predetermined preferences, just as they walk through the door.

For the second year in a row, the CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis determined Control4 as the brand leader for the whole-house automation and control category and was named top brand in additional categories. See more, with a link to the full CE Pro report.

Whether it’s watching TV or listening to music, you could say that entertainment is the heart and soul of any home. As homeowners who love to entertain—or be entertained—we want our content readily available and easily accessible. And in today’s high-tech world, it’s not unrealistic for each family member to expect a personalized experience that allows them to watch and list to whatever, whenever, and wherever in the home...

In June of last year, we launched push notifications that would allow you to receive proactive alerts about important events in your home. Today, we are incredibly excited to announce the full blending of smarts between the Control4 home and the Apple Watch. The engineers at Control4 were thoughtful in their development of this app...

We are pretty excited to have been hand-picked by Houzz for an editorial ideabook feature titled, "Designing With the Stars: Aquarius." In the article, the author, Kate Macdessi, notes that people with the Aquarius sign are drawn to technology. In fact, they tend to be the most tech-savvy of the zodiac bunch. Are you an Aquarius sign? If so, do you agree that your sign is the tech-savviest of them all? We'd love to hear from you.

As you can clearly see, this futuristic home in South Africa is truly like none other. Between the best-of-the-best in architects, interior designers and technology experts, it features unsurpassed quality, aesthetics and performance.

...So it seemed fitting that with Halloween just a few nights away, we give you quick-access to some streaming stations that we have cherry-picked for you—all complete with scary (or fun) sounds and songs to play for your door-to-door tricksters or party-goers. Here are a few soundtracks and playlists from Pandora, Rhapsody, TIDAL & TuneIn—sorry Deezer-lovers, the service isn’t available in the states just yet, so we weren’t able to help with your playlist picking, but I’m sure you’ll find some good picks below!

My husband and I have our respective can’t-live-without features in our Control4 smart home. But the one thing we share a common love for is the whole home audio system. We are definitely a family driven by the beat of a tune. That's why I'm beyond excited to share some cool news with you today.

We are gearing up for another great show at CEDIA 2015 in Dallas, TX. Just like last year, we are hosting a killer party and livestream event prior to the show. If you can’t be there in person, be sure to join in for our livestream event to learn all about the latest and greatest from Control4. WATCH IT HERE LIVE ON 10/14 @ 9:00PM EST / 8:00PM CDT / 7:00PM MST.

You may have caught our first feature on vacation rentals, where we cover our “Top 10” favorite summer ‘smart’ spots. Now that the leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler, we thought we’d share our “Great 8” favorite fall and winter destinations that are outfitted with home automation. Whether you’re looking to visit Park City for the Sundance Film Festival, or hit the ski slopes in Whistler, Telluride or Deer Valley, each of these vacation homes are buzzing with Control4 smart home technology to make your stay even more comfortable, convenient and entertaining when you get in from the cold.

I am sure many of you can relate – the life of a full-time working parent can get rather exhausting. After a long day of work, it’s not uncommon to hit the ground running; shuttling kids to practices, making dinner, attempting to get in a work out, assisting with homework, bathing the kids, bathing yourself, reading stories, and prepping your life for the next day. Then, I found my solace. It is called the “Goodnight” button...

In the 10th Annual Electronic House Home of the Year Awards, Control4 is pleased to be named the control platform in seven of the winning categories. Our incredible dealers have received these honors for completing the best-of-the-best automation installations and we are honored that they have chosen to use Control4 to enable these unique solutions for their homeowners. Here is a list of the winners and links to the project articles...

Vacation homes on sites like VRBO and airbnb are all the rage right now. Travelers are finding that it's more enjoyable, convenient, and oftentimes even more affordable, to stay in someone's personal pad than in a hotel. And when you stay in a smart rental, you're generally provided with more amenities that you may have never experienced before, such as...

Control4 recently participated in the MediaplanetUSA Internet of Things campaign, a wonderful resource that highlights the importance of current and new technologies and the impact they have on our everyday lives. We thought we'd share with you some great reads focused on the IoT and the Smart Home.

Just for pre-registering, over nine thousand people were entered to win a $1500 giveaway for gear from Control4. And during the event, there were even more opportunities for viewers to win some incredible prizes just for engaging with us on social media.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live the smart life? Or perhaps you are already living it and are ready to take your smart home to the next level. Join us as we take you step-by-step through the automated home, sharing with you all of the amazing new products, updates and experiences that will completely change the way you interact with your house daily—making your life more convenient and more enjoyable with every moment.

Home automation systems can impact a person’s life in a myriad of ways. In this issue of Home Smart Home, you’ll see how the owners of a high-end villa in Spain use their Control4 system to enjoy the finer things—such as mood lighting, automated towel warmers and perfectly heated whirlpool tubs and swimming pools—while in their absence guests are able to operate the lights, thermostats and other electronic amenities with ease. Meanwhile...

When you walk into a smart home, what do you expect to see? A robotic maid? A cacophony of gadgets flying around? When you walk into a Control4 smart home, you should see simply—a home. But some amazing things will be going on beneath the surface, even if you can’t see wires and control boxes spread out everywhere.

In the first edition of #SmartHomeChat we were joined by 30+ different users including media, custom integrators, fellow industry manufacturers and tech-loving consumers to share real, truly valuable information surrounding the evolution of today’s smart home. The conversation was certainly fast paced, but was chock-full of home automation information, testimonials and of course some humor. Check out our recap here...

If you’re braving holiday travel this year to visit relatives, good luck to you. Seeing family and loved ones is what Christmas is all about, but the getting-there-and-back part is always a bit stressful (and sometimes headache-inducing). Imagine being stuck in the airport, or grounded by a blizzard, and worry begins to enter your mind; Did I remember to arm the house’s security system? Did I leave the garage door open?...

The anticipation for the holidays begins as soon as the weather starts to change, and your home should be ready for it. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this winter season, there is plenty that your home automation system do to help you and your family get into that holiday mood. Here are a few tips to have the best holiday season yet.

Kids of this era are interested in toys with flashing lights, robotic movements, and loud noises—you know, the ones that leave us parents wanting to rip our hair out in patches. However, Internet-connected toys aren’t all bad, in fact, some of them are great for education and development. So with an “if you can’t beat them, then join them” attitude, I bring you these pretty cool, techy toys for connected kids.

Thanksgiving has the potential to get pretty chaotic. With all the cooking that needs to be done (add to that guests arriving and football blaring on the TV), it can be pretty easy to lose a degree or two of thankfulness. Here are 4 great smart home ideas that will help you kick off the holiday season just right.

We couldn’t help but wonder what people of today think the “house of the future” will look like—or what they want in their own futuristic smart home. So we took a survey and compiled some of our favorite responses...

Home theater setups can be either mundane or extraordinary. If you’re striving to create memorable movie nights for years to come, then consider these 3 distinctive home theater setups. We’ve also included some automation tips for integrating your Control4 system, so you can really get the most out of your home theater/media room.

Because your family doesn't live their lives the same way as the people next door, your home shouldn't function the same way either. When you life the automated life, the things your home can do to make life more enjoyable and convenient for you and your family are virtually endless. Check out our infographic to see just a few of the many ways a smart home can function throughout the day, saving time and energy as well as giving you added peace of mind while you are away.

Maybe you’re looking to turn your neglected garage into the ultimate cinema experience. Or perhaps you want to enhance your family movie night with a few updates to your existing home theater. No matter your vision, here are 8 must haves for the perfect automated home theater.

This week, the transition from Summer to Fall is officially upon us. The changing seasons can oftentimes also change daily routines and even the way you interact with your home. Perhaps the Spring is a time when you enjoy nightly visits to the hot tub. In the Summer you may aim to get out of the house extra early to take advantage of the great weather. Fall may be a time where you spend countless...

This former NFL player has a home that anyone would envy—his 17,000 square foot pad is stacked from top to bottom with the latest and greatest in automated features. But the one area that creates the most buzz is his custom, state-of-the-art gymnasium. This court is beyond cool and is filled with multimedia...

While I’ve seen my fair share of table tennis set-ups, I’ve never seen one quite like this one. Lightweight and collapsible, this ping-pong table lent itself well to being integrated into a larger home automation project. With the press of one simple button...

Lighting is one of the biggest opportunities for homeowners to subtly but effectively influence the ambiance of your home, whether for your own comfort and convenience or to set the mood for your guests. When skillfully applied, lighting can elicit a wide range of emotional responses, helping to make a party more cheerful or a romantic dinner more intimate.

In the world of Control4 and home automation, some terms may not be entirely clear to those who are just being introduced to the smart life. For example, we talk a lot about creating “scenes” to fit your lifestyle and “zones” in which you can listen to music. But what do those words actually mean?

The application revolution has taken mobile technology by storm. Nowadays, there is even an app to help you avoid getting involved in accidential incest. Wait, there's an app for that? No really, for THAT?! Yep, you read it correctly. Just by touching your phone with another, this app will tell you if you are barking up the wrong tree, as in, your own family tree. Click on the image below for more snippets of technology-related random facts.

Thanks to Control4 home automation, this "Little Houdini" is able to entertain with a little "automagic." With his special wand (and dad's helpful iPad), he can control the lights & blinds, and even attempts to turn his newfound powers on his sister!

Q. When starting a new design project, to what extent should designers consider home automation? A. Professional designers take great pride in the aesthetics that make up a beautiful home. So it is really important that they take into consideration home automation to avoid the use of clunky electronic devices and wall clutter. Many designers may not be aware of what options are available, but home automation is really something that could improve their design process...

...Every driving station is outfitted with two televisions, one of which will display any channel of choice and the other displays players' scores. This set up ensures you get the best of both worlds—keeping an eye on that important game while playing a bit of it yourself with friends. All in all, TopGolf houses 240 televisions, all of which can be turned on easily and quickly with an iPad and remotely switched from channel-to-channel individually or all at once. The Control4 system is so easy for the staff to use—and only took about a half hour to train them to operate the entire facility—that it allows them to focus on the day-to-day operations while keeping up the excitement for players and guests...

It's not uncommon for young children to fight scheduled routines. They may throw a brief temper tantrum to try to get out of a nap, or push back on eating dinner because they'd rather play with their toys. However, for children with autism, routines, schedules and rituals are incredibly important. In fact, they are a necessity. If an abrupt change occurs in a normal day-to-day agenda, it can result in major meltdowns and huge setbacks for the child. Not to mention how challenging it is for the people who love them the most...

With Major League Baseball beginning this weekend, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to share one of the coolest man caves we've seen. This ultimate Chicago Cubs fan, Stewart McVicar, was out to play some serious ball when he designed his in-home sports bar, fully outfitted with a Control4 home automation system, a round bar with a video wall, beers on tap, a sweet game room, and even a urinal with an eye-level television so you don't miss a minute of the action.

"It's one app that controls the entire house," says Brad Thurman, who chose Control4 home automation to control the security, lighting, television and audio within his home. Control4 dealer, Panos Anassis with AVI (Audio Video Invasion) did the installation on this great project and is featured in this segment from CBS New York titled "A Look Inside The New ‘Smart Home’."

...This change also means that warmer weather is approaching. And for those lucky enough to live near the beach, you'll be able to soak up the rays for that additional hour. I can think of few places where it might be more enjoyable to spend some of those summer days and nights than this incredible penthouse in Miami, Florida, nestled right at the Atlantic ocean...

Valentine’s Day is all about showering your special loved one with candy, chocolate and the like. But what would be the real icing on the cake? Taking her to pick her own goodies in a fully automated sweet shop.

As ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) comes to an end, we want to congratulate our incredible dealers who were selected as winners for our 2013 EMEA Dealer-Distributor Awards. With a grand total of 27 awards presented within 9 distinct categories, this year hit a record number of submissions—which reinforces the growth of our EMEA custom installation channel.

Our dealers work on a lot of cool projects, and these particular ones certainly don't disappoint. In fact, they have been coined our top five automated Super Bowl pads. Be sure to check out all the extended details here. But here are some of the highlights:

We asked two of our dealers—one from Seattle and one from Denver—to give us their thoughts on an ultimate man cave proposal for the Super Bowl. What would they do to completely outfit a Seahawk or Bronco customer’s fan cave? We think they did a pretty good job. But YOU get to decide who will get the win.

...I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily an audiophile. Although whole house audio was the first thing we added when we had our Control4 system installed. And whenever we have friends over, it’s all about passing around the Control4 Portable Touch Screen, as we each take turns controlling the speakers to blast our newest flavor-of-the-week.

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out our President and CEO, Martin Plaehn on Bloomberg's "Money Moves" segment, discussing the state of home automation, Control4's integration with over 7000 3rd party devices, and delivering on a promise to provide the best solutions for the connected consumer.

As mentioned in yesterday's blog post: "What it Means to have a 'Truly' Connected Home," we talk about how home automation is not one app to turn off one light, a different app to set the thermostat and another app to arm your security system. Home automation is hitting an “Away” button on a Control4 Keypad as you leave the house and your garage door closes, the exterior doors lock, the security system arms, the lights turn off and the thermostat lowers the heat into energy savings mode. It’s programming all aspects of your home to act in a way that matches your lifestyle and your family’s needs. It’s a personalized system that’s customized for YOU. That’s what makes a truly smart and connected home. We have created an infographic to help demonstrate just what it means when it all works together. It's simplicity at its best: One smart home app to run your entire smart home. Enjoy!

As 2013 comes to an end, we wanted to take a look back at some of our favorite video projects from the past year. We have had the joy of experiencing some pretty amazing places with some incredible Control4 customers. Their stories have been interesting, heartfelt, or just plain kooky—but all of them have been theirs—simply one-of-a-kind—and their home automation systems have been built to complement their individual lifestyles. Feel free to travel with us down memory lane...

Incandescent bulbs will soon be a thing of the past. So what does that mean for the future of lighting? It means smart, energy-efficient lighting options -- and as smart lighting continues to be an increasingly growing market, it is becoming more and more desirable to homeowners. Take a look at this infographic that shows the end of an era and the birth of a new one.

Looking for a little control this holiday season? Jonathan Ping at DataSmart, a Control4 dealer, gives us a little insight on how your Control4 home automation system can handle the scheduling of your Christmas lighting each day of the season—and year over year—as well as some other fun things to add a little extra festive fun to your home. Check out the video below! And be sure to visit our video page for more great tips and tricks from other cool projects.

Thanks to our newest issue of Home Smart Home, we shared some suggestions on how to make both your Thanksgiving and Halloween a bit more fun and entertaining with your Control4 home automation system. And to wrap it all up (pun intended), we are closing with our Christmas holiday automation suggestions. We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season.

So many technological products and features have become such a staple in our daily lives, that we tend to forget just how much we appreciate the little (or the big) things that help to make our lives more enjoyable and convenient. Being that it is the eve of Thanksgiving, we thought we'd catch a few of our employees to find out what technology they are the most thankful for this year.

Most homeowners who are looking to invest in a home automation system tend to put a major focus on security and peace of mind. Therefore, one of the many products they consider a major benefit to their home automation systems are smart door locks. We have compiled the top five reasons our customers love having door locks incorporated into their Control4 smart homes.

Thanks to our newest issue of Home Smart Home, we shared some pretty cool Halloween home automation tricks-and-treats with you. And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, we have a few more tips to delight the household or your dinner guests. Below are our suggestions for November, but click on the image below to see some great ideas for December as well to prepare you for the Christmas holiday.

Check out these fun facts in this infographic featured in our most recent issue of Home Smart Home magazine. Be sure to download this issue (and past issues) for more fun, inspirational and entertaining articles and stories about automation and technology.

This family has it all figured out. They made the decision to take their home automation system on the road, entirely outfitting their rig with smart equipment and decking it out in Auburn University gear. Wherever they go, they are the envy of the tailgate.

We’ve heard about some pretty cool things—besides the home—that people around the world are automating, such as spas and salons, car dealerships, fitness centers, driving ranges and bowling alleys, a super cool equestrian center, and the list goes on and on. But one of the more ironic ones we’ve seen was a project that popped up on our radar just this month in our own backyard. It’s called the “Scared Haunt,” and it’s a fully-automated haunted house that...

Thanks to our newest issue of Home Smart Home, we have some pretty cool home automation tricks-and-treats to share with you this Halloween that will make your Control4 system scary-smart. Below are a few suggestions for October, but click on the image below to see ideas for November and December as well, just in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

I’d have to say there were many highlights in my trip to Denver, but the recognition that Control4 received from industry professionals and publications certainly topped the list for me. From product managers to the warehouse team, marketing folk to engineers, each one of us at Control4 is passionate about the gear we create, and we all feel a great deal of gratitude when we receive acknowledgement for the products and solutions that we truly believe enhance the lives of our customers.

I tend to err on the side of caution. And by this, I mean I occasionally act like a human bumper-pad to my 2-year old, following him around everywhere to hopefully prevent any and every opportunity of him getting injured.I tend to err on the side of caution. And by this, I mean I occasionally act like a human bumper-pad to my 2-year old, following him around everywhere to hopefully prevent any and every opportunity of him getting injured.

After numerous attempts to convince my husband to "take a hike"—in the healthy way, not the divorce way—we finally hit the beautiful Utah mountains in Big Cottonwood Canyon to enjoy the sites of Lake Mary. While we were hanging out at the lake, it dawned on us that neither of us hit our "All Off" button on the keypad on the way out of the house earlier that morning...

This week, we are breaking down the smart home with a cool infographic tour. There are so many different ways you can automate your home, making it work for YOU by complementing your specific and unique lifestyle...

How would your smart home measure up against an alien invasion? Ever wonder what an extra-terrestrial looks like in a bathing suit? These questions and more are answered in this awesome home automation comic from our Home Smart Home magazine. Click on the Mars Attacks! image below to see how smart home technology impresses even the most “worldly” of visitors.

As a full-time working mother, I'm always up for anything that helps to make life just a smidge easier. Truth is, I only have one child, a very helpful husband, live pretty close to work and the babysitter is a stone's-throw away. So I really have it pret

The best thing about Control4 is that you can customize your home to fit your lifestyle. The best thing about Control4 Keypads is that you can activate that customization instantly with the simple push of a button. But the best thing about Control4 Keycap

The heartland takes its sports seriously, so when Iowa State University decided to build a new, 36,000 square foot, $8 million basketball practice facility, consolidating and simplifying all audio, video and control systems into one easy-to-use solution w

I've been a fan of Vegas all my life. And being that it's only about a six hour drive, I've had my fair share of younger-year visits. Although in those days, eight of us girls would cram our 7,000 bags into one hotel room for the weekend and spend only as

It's a television showdown. Ok, not really. According to this infographic, I think it's pretty clear which event takes the cake. But interesting nonetheless to see how the two stack up against one another.

For most of us, the kitchen is the focal entertaining spot in the home. But it is also the place where multi-tasking is essential, and that's not always easy. From preparing, cooking and serving food, pouring drinks, keeping up the friendly chat, all the

For football fans, the Super Bowl is obviously a huge deal -- and this year, February 3rd will be particularly important for fans of either the San Francisco 49ers or the Baltimore Ravens. I'm not a huge sports nut myself, however, I do enjoy a good party so the Super Bowl is always something I look forward to. My husband on the other hand, has been talking about it for weeks on end. Asking all the "important questions" like -- Do we go to a sports bar or will it be too crowded? How do we weigh our party invite options? Or do we just decide to do it at our place? If we do decide to host, what will we eat? How much beer will we need? Do we need to buy decorations? (Ok, the decorations question was mine. He'd never claim that one.)

Dennis Burger has been a journalist in the entertainment and consumer electronics industries for close to 15 years, and has been covering home automation for the past decade-as a current editor at TechnologyTell and frequent contributor to Residential Sys

Ahhhh, the dreaded doctor's visit. I had the pleasure of a visit last week and it was, well, just as I expected it to be... Long, boring and semi-uncomfortable (due to a last-minute decision for a flu shot). Currently, I'm in the "market" for a new doctor

CES is upon us once again! Yep, the world-renowned tech trade show that happens each year in Sin City, Las Vegas. Every January, the "who's who" in consumer electronics venture out to show off their latest-and-greatest gadgets and technology advancements.

Exercise and music go hand-in-hand - it's just natural to want to enjoy high-impact tunes to help get the blood flowing. Because many fitness centers and training facilities are extremely large, they often have multiple audio systems set up in the differe

One major misconception in home automation is that, because you are bringing more electronic devices into your home, that it will quickly become a breeding ground for more boxes, wires and the like. But luckily, this is not the case. Home automation simpl

As a woman working in the tech-industry, I found this article, It's Complicated: Understanding a Woman's Relationship with A/V Gear by Adrienne Maxwell in Home Theater Review, to be both incredibly enlightening and equally entertaining. Whether you are a

Looking back to when I first started my journey in the working world, the conference rooms I remember were nothing more than glorified cubicles. Thin walls, a pull down screen, a long table and a door. Quite simply, boring. Nowadays, businesses are taking

We hope everyone in the US has a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Please take the time to read this article that was recently featured in our Home Smart Home magazine. This article explains how a smart kitchen can greatly enhance your Thanksgi

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Chicago, Magnificent Mile is one of the latest additions to the Ritz-Carlton suite of luxury residential homes. What sets this one apart? Each of the units comes with a Control4 touch screen equipped with the Integrisys Inteli

At Control4, we are passionate about our products. So when someone like John Sciacca, technical editor for Sound + Vision Magazine and contributing writer at Residential Systems, gave our HC-250 Controller the Certified &amp; Recommended stamp of appr

It's safe to say the housing industry is officially on the mend-it is slowly becoming a seller's market once again. According to the Census Bureau, the increase comes for both existing and new starts: existing home sales up 7.8% from last year and new sta

I'm a first-time mom. And a nervous-wreck of a mom at that. I purchased a baby monitor well before my 10-month-old son was born and I immediately hated it. Hated the static and the unreliability. So I trashed the monitor and installed an In-Wall Touch Scr

Like most women, I'm very well-versed in the shopping world. So when I heard about a super cool, exciting new project called MainStreet America, I was more than intrigued. MSA is currently under construction, and once completed, it will offer a hands-on,

Ten years ago, we were captivated by the technological elements in the movie, Minority Report, which was set in the year 2054. As a kid, I remember thinking that the possibility of those types of technological advances were incredibly unrealistic - at lea

My poor husband. I'm the world's worst cook and I can't say that I was completely honest about this before we got married. But, he liked it, so he put a ring on it (cue Beyonce). However, I'm trying to learn. Trying being the key word here - hardly succee